I am sure many of you who are coping with food
intolerances/allergies/celiac have run into what I am calling the gluten
gouge. It is an amalgam of being raked through the coals by vendors,
restaurants and stores. We are raked through the coals by prices,
dishonesty, failure to provide full disclosure and failure to be really
educated about gluten and dairy.This results in a disappointing,
overpriced experience and makes us want to stay home.
Here's an example: restaurant X (will remain nameless) tells me when I call, that they have a gluten free menu. When I arrived, the menu consisted of 3-4 items, mostly salad. Then when dairy free was added, my menu items were reduced to salad. This occurs because most of their food is not made fresh by their staff, it is purchased frozen or already prepared and resold at a higher price. A paltry offering of GF salads doesn't make a meal. When I spend hard earned money on going out, I want an entire meal with a salad. Restaurant X couldn't even provide salad dressing.
Another example, restaurant Z, has some GF items, and their staff pretends to be knowledgeable in GF dining so that you will stay when you walk in after initial inquiry. When I order a salad with the GF menu item they suggest, the taco salad comes in a fried tortilla bowl---NOT GF!!! The menu made no mention of salad being served in gluten laden bowl, how would I know this? The server failed to ensure the meal was GF. Then you are made to feel like you are such an inconvenience that sometimes I think I will be fine if I just scrape it off. Wrong, I paid for it the next day.
Then there is the restaurant who is genuinely trying to accommodate us, but it is hard to justify paying double, $12 for a sandwich on GF bread (usually smaller in size than gluten bread) and the gluten laden sandwich costs $6.00. I know how much they can purchase this loaf of bread at retail and it is just difficult to understand why I am being charged so much.
Here's an example: restaurant X (will remain nameless) tells me when I call, that they have a gluten free menu. When I arrived, the menu consisted of 3-4 items, mostly salad. Then when dairy free was added, my menu items were reduced to salad. This occurs because most of their food is not made fresh by their staff, it is purchased frozen or already prepared and resold at a higher price. A paltry offering of GF salads doesn't make a meal. When I spend hard earned money on going out, I want an entire meal with a salad. Restaurant X couldn't even provide salad dressing.
Another example, restaurant Z, has some GF items, and their staff pretends to be knowledgeable in GF dining so that you will stay when you walk in after initial inquiry. When I order a salad with the GF menu item they suggest, the taco salad comes in a fried tortilla bowl---NOT GF!!! The menu made no mention of salad being served in gluten laden bowl, how would I know this? The server failed to ensure the meal was GF. Then you are made to feel like you are such an inconvenience that sometimes I think I will be fine if I just scrape it off. Wrong, I paid for it the next day.
Then there is the restaurant who is genuinely trying to accommodate us, but it is hard to justify paying double, $12 for a sandwich on GF bread (usually smaller in size than gluten bread) and the gluten laden sandwich costs $6.00. I know how much they can purchase this loaf of bread at retail and it is just difficult to understand why I am being charged so much.
I have a list of favorite gf places to go. Currently,
ModMarket, located in Denver and Boulder has killer GF pizza with vegan cheese,
that is my guilty pleasure every week. They also have wonderful salads,
dressings and GF soups including green chili!
Some of my other favorites are:
Udi’s (quite expensive though and I have had some soggy sandwiches)
Root Down (expensive, but worth the splurge, monthly raw food dinner available)
Le central (makes their own GF bread, but does contain milk)
Le central (makes their own GF bread, but does contain milk)
Blue Sky Café and Yoga Bar is one of my
favorite places that is consistently good about keeping my food real!! That is
GLUTEN FREE!!! They have Vita Mixes and super juicers so you can enjoy fresh
fruit and/or veggie juices before breakfast or with breakfast. During the day until 2pm they are a café and
at night the tables and chairs are put away for yoga! I was inspired by their
drink menu to make my own version of their Screaming Banshee shake. I am not a
fan of the highly processed and phyto (plant) estrogen laden soy milk, and I am
also casein (dairy) free and I was inspired to make a version that met the
criteria.
Chocolate Covered Monkey Shake
If you don't want chocolate, omit it, makes a killer Monkey shake! Pictured. NO MONKEYS WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS SHAKE! :)
If you don't want chocolate, omit it, makes a killer Monkey shake! Pictured. NO MONKEYS WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS SHAKE! :)
2 c. almond milk
2 Tbsp Cocoa
2 ripe, sliced frozen banana or a fresh one (if you want
it cold, add a few ice cubs)
2 pitted Medjool date
2 tbsp. peanut butter no sugar added, free of hydrogenated oils
1 scoop of protein powder (optional) of your choice, I used Garden of Life Raw Protein
If you have a Vitamix, place all ingredients in the order listed. If you have a bullet or normal speed blender, use half of the liquid and add more until it is blended smooth, then add remaining liquid.
Enjoy!
Serves 2
Next week, The Gluten Gouge, Part Two, more restaurants and a recipe for Mango Salad and Chocolate Pudding!
If you have a Vitamix, place all ingredients in the order listed. If you have a bullet or normal speed blender, use half of the liquid and add more until it is blended smooth, then add remaining liquid.
Enjoy!
Serves 2
Next week, The Gluten Gouge, Part Two, more restaurants and a recipe for Mango Salad and Chocolate Pudding!
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